​In my household, I perform all of the heavy lifting when it comes to grocery shopping, planning and cooking meals, and housework. Truthfully I have pretty much given up on cooking altogether - its a lot more work to put together meals for 2 than 1, and I often find that I don’t have the energy or creativity to think of anything that sounds good, let alone actually cooking anything.

There’s so many meal kit services out there, I didn’t know which one to try. Every time an ad popped up somewhere and I browsed a new site, I was uninterested in the offerings and never signed up. I am a picky eater, partly not my fault because I have celiac disease, but I also am willing to accept that I have silly dislikes and preferences that make it difficult to please me. I am also concerned that there simply won’t be enough to satisfy Travis’ appetite - his full plate is 2-3 times the size of mine, and we only ever have leftovers if I cook for 4+.

My best friend Gina knows me very well and is the one who invited me to try Martha + Marley Spoon. For the first time, I logged on to a meal delivery kit website and actually liked the things that popped up! So, we’re trying it, and our first box will be here this week. We’re getting:

Shrimp Fried Rice with Snow Peas and Carrots

Roasted Chicken & Broccoli with Cheddar Rice Casserole

Rosemary-Garlic Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

​ Are these the most adventurous choices? Absolutely not, but I’m picky remember? I also purposely picked simple recipes because I feel like I’ll be able to judge the quality of the box contents more fairly without getting too excited about cool new things. There also are a limited number of gluten free options available in the weekly menu, all the more reasons to go with familiar options to start.

I am a little concerned with starting a meal kit subscription during a time when shipping norms are all out of whack, and the Apple App Store reviews for Martha + Marley Spoon make me very nervous. There are a lot of people saying they had extreme shipping delays even before the pandemic, and their customer service rates poorly. I’m hoping this doesn’t foreshadow my experience, but I logged in on the day my box was supposed to arrive and the tracking link showed it still in process. This is in conflict with the actual Martha + Marley Spoon website, which says it is on the way.